The Big Payback

The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

By: Dan Charnas

Narrated by: Kevin R. Free

An original journalist for The Source, Dan Charnas built a celebrated career in the rap industry. In The Big Payback, he chronicles the rise of the hip-hop culture and shows how it became so powerful in a matter of decades. Charnas also profiles many of the movers and shakers in this burgeoning cultural movement, offering unprecedented access to an industry that continues to shake the globe.

©2010 Dan Charnas (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“Nuanced treatment of the impresarios behind signature sounds and recording empires, and brisk, dramatic vignettes, give this history of a leaderless revolution impressive momentum.” ( Publishers Weekly)

The Best Hip Hop History Book Ever!

Any additional comments?

This was the most comprehensive hip-hop book I've ever read! If you're a hip hop artist, purist, educator, or simply a casual fan, this book starts you from the embryo and guides you to hip hop's middle age in a one seamless arc.

So much love

If you have any interest at all in hip hop, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by listening to this book. It's incredibly detailed, offering snapshots of pivotal moments in the rise of hip hop from beats in clubs and kids rapping on the street to the extremely successful and ubiquitous art form it is today. Although it's over 27 hours and nearly 700 pages in print, I only wish this was longer. The drama between some of the industry's leading figures not only gives context to lyrics that might not otherwise make sense, and imparts a deeper understanding of artists' identities - it's also makes for a lot of interesting narratives. Even if you think you know a lot about hip hop history already, you will almost certainly learn something new, and there's a perspective here you can only get from hearing it all in the context of the time and place in which it happened. Oh, and it's really well-written and narrated. Definitely recommend this one.

Hip-Hop Masterclass

An incredible read front-to-back. Whether you’re a head looking for an inside history on the culture or an entrepreneur looking for ideas, this book is for you. Just phenomenal.

Great book -- I learned a lot!

This book was awesome. I knew pretty much nothing about the history of hip hop as a genre when I started and I learned so much. I really, really enjoyed it.

It's definitely long. And there are times when there's a bit too much detail about certain aspects of the industry (I definitely got bored when they started talking about hip hop artists getting sponsorship from different kinds of flavored water), but it was really excellent overall.

I especially enjoyed the sections about the early history of R&B, DJs, and the disco scene and how that connected with the rise of hip hop.

Most Comprehensive Book

Even though I may not like Hip Hop as much as other genres, this is the most comprehensive book that I ever read on a particular subject. No matter if you like Hip Hop or not, you will love this book because it's the most interesting read in a culture that is so popular among all ages.

Reading about how the legends got started in the scene was the best, like Run DMC, Beastie Boys, House of Payne, Dr. Dre, and the business, like Def Jam Records. The most interesting part is how they got into the mainstream so quickly, by changing the tunes on the radio overnight, by turning into a rap and pop station the next day.

In stead of reading thugs, pimps, and hoes, you will read the business side of this pop culture and how they become the 800 pound gorilla in music, fashion, Hollywood, and whatever else that they label as dope.

If you want to understand how Hip Hop got started, this is a infinite title that you have to pick up either in print or audio.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars just because toward the end, the book became a bit too political with President Obama. It seems like that the President will bust a rhyme as he tries to get reelected for a second term, but that would be tight. It could happen, as the nation saw President Clinton played his saxophone on stage.